Fluid circulating system



1942. H. T. BRADNER FLUID CIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 18, 1957Patented Feb. 3, 1942 FLUID CIRCULATIN G SYSTEM Hosea T. Bradner, ShakerHeights, Ohio, assignor to The Lees-Bradner Company,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 18, 1937, Serial N 0.175,279

8 Claims.

This invention relates to machine tools and the like, and particularlyto liquid circulating systerns therefor.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved means forcirculating lubricating liquids to machine tools and like devices.

Another object is to provide an improved means for circulating thecooling and lubricating liquids commonly used in cutting metal andsimilar operations.

Another object is to provide an improved means which will circulate bothlubricant and coolant and lubricant mixtures and prevent either fromimpairing the efiiciency of the other.

Another object is to provide an improved liquid circulating means whichwill be simple in construction.

Another object is to provide an improved liquid circulating means whichwill be eificient in operation.

Another object is to provide an improved liquid circulating means whichwill occupy relatively little space.

Another object is to provide an improved liquid circulating means inwhich leakage of liquids will be prevented.

Another object is to provide an improved liquid circulating means whichmay effectively be used with multi-unit machines.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of onepractical embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in Figure 2 is a plan viewof the machine of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the valve actuatingmechanism included in the apparatus of the preceding two figures;

The machine illustrated is in general of a type shown in Patent Number2,075,489 issued March 30, 1937, to the Lees-Bradner Company, asassignee of Charles H. Schurr and Homer C. Warner.

It consists of a stationary base I, provided with a central pivot 2,about which may be rotated a turntable or unit support 3. This turntablehas keyed to it a worm wheel 4 driven by a worm actuated by an electricmotor 5 through a clutch 6, to carry the units mounted upon the tablepast an operator at a stationary loading and unloading station.

Mounted upon the turntable are a plurality of A machine units, shown inthe drawing as six in number and indicated generally by the letter U.Each unit comprises a frame 1 supporting the work and cutter heads 8 and9, respectively, which are connected by suitable gearing, the gearing ofeach unit being driven by its individual motor I0.

Each motor I0 is supphed with electric current coming from a generator(not shown) through conduits I I, and also through suitable circuitmaking and breaking means, illustrated somewhatdiagrammatically as aplurality of broken or interruptedconducting rings 12 car-' ried on thetop of a central column l3 fixed in position upon the pivot 2 of thebase. Upon these rings bear brushes I4 carried upon insulated supportsupon the brackets I5 of the respective machine units. 7

The parts so far described have all been generally indicated anddescribed in the above mentioned Letters Patent, and are included onlyas illustrative of one environment in which the invention may beadvantageously used.

Mounted upon the turntable 3 is a tank It containing lubricating oil orthe like, this tank being provided with a pump I a driven by an electricmotor I3, the motor receiving power from the brushes I4 in the samemanner as the motor II], but preferably having two sets of brushes sothat it will not be stopped when either set is passing over the break inthe conductor ring I2.

From the pump, a pipe or conduit I9 leads to a tank Ifia at the top ofmachine from which the liquid flows to the various units U through amanifold-like conduit I911, this lubricant being returned at the bottomof each unit to a circular pipe 26 adjacent the turntable 3, by whichthe lubricant is returned to the tank I6.

' Thus, it will be seen that the lubricant isretained in a closed systemand precluded from mixing with the coolant fluid. Of course, the

tank I6 permits settling of any solid particles which may be returned tothe tank with the lubricating liquid, and, if desired, the tank may havesuitable straining or filtering means to eliminate such material.

Also, mounted upon the turntable 3 is a pump 2|, likewise driven by anelectric motor 22, and receiving its power from the conductor rings I2in the same manner as motor I8.

The intake of this pump depends into the annular space 24 about theperiphery of the base, and from this space draws coolant-lubricantmixture to be supplied to the cutters and work.

'Pipes 25 conduct the coolant liquid to nozzles 26 through which it isdischarged upon the cutters and work of theseveral units. From thispoint the liquid may run back upon the turntable and into the trough 24.

A deflector blade or sweep 21 is fixed to the turntable immediately inadvance of the intake 23 to sweep chips and other solid particles out ofthe way of the intake.

At one or more points about the base the trough 26 is enlarged to formone or more sumps 28 into which chips and other solid material particlesmay drop, and from which they may be readily removed by the operator.

Both pumps run continuously during the operation of the machine. Withthe regard to the lubricating liquid supplied by pump I5, circulation ispermitted continuously to each unit.

However, when it is desired that an operator remove a completed piece ofwork and insert a new work piece, the flow of the coolant from thenozzle 26 impedes such operation, and each pipe 25 is therefore providedwith control valve indicated generally at V.

This valve is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 3 as controlled inaccordance with the operation of motor ll! of the unit with which it isassociated. In this figure the valve is shown as arranged to be closedby a spring S and opened by the passage of current through a magneticcoil 0, this being connected in series with the motor I of its unit.

It will be apparent that when current to this motor is discontinued byits brushes Hi reaching the break in conducting rings l2, the coil Cwill cease to function and the spring will close the valve. However, assoon as brushes I4 have passed over the gap in the ringsand current isagain supplied to the motor, the valve will be opened and coolant liquidsupplied to the nozzle 26 of the particularunit as it passes around themachine to again reach its loading and unloading position.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention insomeparticularity, obviously many others will readily occur to those skilledin this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precisedetails shown and described, but claim as my invention all embodiments,variations, and modifications thereof coming within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine tool comprising a stationary base, a rotatable supportmounted thereon, and a machine unit carried by said support, the basebeing'formed to include an annular trough, a pump carried by saidrotatable support and having an intake depending into said trough, meansfor driving said pump, a sweep carried by said support and dependinginto said trough in advance of said intake, and a conduit from said pumpto said machine unit.

2. In a machine tool comprising a stationary base, a rotatable supportmounted thereon, and a machine unit carried by said support, the basebeing formed to include an annular trough, a pump carried by saidrotatable support and having an intake depending into said trough, meansfor driving said pump, a sweep carried by said support and dependinginto said trough in advance of said intake, and a conduit from said pumpto said machine unit, said trough being enlarged to provide a solidmaterial receiving and settling sump.

3. In a rotary machine tool having a stationary base, a rotating supportcarried thereby and a machine unit carried by the support, stationaryliquid receiving means in said base, a pump carried by the rotatingsupport, a conduit from said pump to said unit, a motor connected todrive said pump, the pump having an intake fixed with respect theretoand extending into the liquid receiving means in the base, a valveinterposed in the conduit from the pump to the unit, and controllingmeans for said valve actuated by the movement of the support upon thebase.

4:. In a machine tool having a stationary base and a machine unitmovably carried thereby, a stationary liquid receiving means in thebase, a pump movably carried with the machine unit, a conduit from saidpump to said unit, a motor connected to drive said pump, and an intakefrom said pump carried thereby and extending into said liquid receivingmeans in the base, said intake being movable within said liquidreceiving means as the machine unit is moved upon the base, and controlmeans controlling the supply of liquid through said conduit operated inaccordance with the movement of the machine unit relative the base.

5. In a machine tool having a stationary base and a machinev unitmovably carried thereby, a stationary liquid receiving means in thebase, a pump movably carried with the machine unit, a conduit from saidpump to said unit, a motor connected to drive said pump, and an intakefrom said pump carried thereby and extending into said liquid receivingmeans in the base, said intake being movable within said liquidreceiving means as the machine unit is moved upon the base, and solidmaterial moving means associated and movable with the intake ofsaid'pump.

6. In a rotary machine tool having a stationary base, a rotating supportcarried thereby and a machine unit carried by the support, a stationarycircular liquid receiving trough in said base concentric with the axisof said rotating support, a pump carried by the rotating support, aconduit from said pump to said machine unit, an intake fixed withrespect to the pump and extending into the circular trough, and drivingmeans connected to said pump, the trough having a deepened portion toprovide a solid material receiving and settling sump.

'7. In a rotary machine tool having a stationary base, a rotatingsupport carried thereby, and a machine unit carried by the support, astationary circular trough in said base concentric with the axis of saidrotating support, a pump carried by the rotating support, a conduit fromsaid pump to said unit, an intake fixed with respect to the pump anddepending into said trough,

driving means connected to drive said pump,

control means controlling the supply of liquid to said unit, andoperating means connected to said control means actuated by the unit..

. 8. In a rotary machine tool having a stationary base, a rotatingsupport carried thereby, and a machine unit carried by the support, astationary circular trough in said base concentric with the axis of saidrotating support, a pump carried by the rotating support, a conduit fromsaid pump to said unit, an intake fixed with respect to the pump anddepending into said trough, driving means connected to drive said pump,a valve controlling the supply of liquid to said unit, and operatingmeans connected to said valve and actuated by the unit.

' HOSEA T. BRADNER.

